Welcome back, if you've been following my blog then you'll be aware that I've been looking at my favourite horror films by the decade and last time I looked at the 90's. Now comes the time to enter the 21st century and it is safe to say that the noughties were a very violent time in horror cinema, exploitative and extreme torture porn films became increasingly popular along with very bloody zombie films as well. Along with this, horror film remakes were also becoming more frequent (unfortunately), so amidst all of the various types of horror films released in the previous decade here are my top 10. Warning, there may be spoilers!
10. Ginger Snaps (2000)
Teen horror grew in popularity in the latter years of the 20th century thanks to the slasher boom and later films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer and it was a trend that continued well into the noughties. Ginger Snaps managed to bring teen horror into the new century with a twisted coming of age story about a teenage girl who begins to experience strange changes in her body, and no it's not just puberty, Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) is turning into a werewolf. Now the highlight of this film lies in its two leads, the aforementioned Katherine Isabelle as Ginger and Emily Perkins as her shy sister Bridgette. Isabelle is brilliant at conveying Ginger's transformation from introverted outcast to promiscuous lycanthrope, meanwhile Emily Perkins is equally excellent as Ginger's sister who struggles with her own problems as well as her sisters transformation. The two share a great onscreen chemistry as well. It's a darkly comical piece, while it does maintain its sense of humour throughout, Ginger's insidious transformation and violent outbursts are still quite frightening. It's an entertaining werewolf flick but it's also a lot more than that, the film has often been cited as a strong feminist horror film, from its strong female leads to the obvious metaphor of lycanthropy for periods, it is another example of how horror cinema can portray women as more than just eye candy running from killers. A great horror to begin the decade with.
9. The Strangers (2008)
Among the onslaught of gory horror films released in the noughties, The Strangers instead went for a more subtle approach and boy is it effective. The film sees couple Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) who come under attack by a trio of masked assailants in a remote vacation home in the woods. This is a film that relies heavily on suspense, utilising long silences and shadows to build this incredibly eerie atmosphere throughout, it is subtle in its scares. That iconic scene where the masked man slowly emerges from the shadows behind the unsuspecting Kristen is nailbiting to watch. The antagonists are especially creepy, their black clothes and eerie white masks make their appearance incredibly unsettling while their dry, monotone voices give them this chilling presence throughout. These villains keep in line with the films subtle tone while at the same time they are incredibly violent and relentless. It is a slow burner however, and while that can work in certain films at times it just makes this one seem a bit boring, this isn't helped by its rather bland leads who make the first half of the film pretty dull. If you can make it through the build up however, you're in for a real treat as it is an atmospheric masterpiece once the trio of villains make their way onscreen.
8. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Now Rob Zombie already had an established music career in the 90's, from White Zombie to his solo career, he was known for heavily incorporating horror themes and imagery in his songs and videos. It was only a matter of time until Mr. Zombie entered the world of horror filmmaking and House of 1000 Corpses marked this entrance. The film focuses on four teenagers who travel the Texas backroads in search of weird and wonderful things, their latest endeavor leads them to the home of the strange Firefly family who stop at nothing to make their lives a living hell. Now this is a film that you either love or hate, from its vulgar humour to Zombies unique style, this won't appeal to everyone, even the director himself has criticized it, but it's easy to watch and highly entertaining. The characters are brilliant, especially the villains who include horror legend Bill Moseley as the sadistic Otis and Zombies wife Sheri Moon Zombie as the insane Baby, the colourful family may be unrelentingly violent but you can't help but grow to like them. Colourful is definitely a word I would use to describe this film, not only in its characters but its lighting and setpieces are equally eyepopping, it is definitely a visually appealing film. Like a lot of similar films, House of 1000 Corpses is very violent, scalping, stabbing and flaying are only a few of the despicable deeds that take place within the house. The film itself is one big homage, in particular to the films of Tobe Hooper, but its unique visuals and characters make this its own film and although its not well received by many it has become a cult classic since its release.
7. Hostel: Part II (2007)
Eli Roth had already gained a lot of attention with his controversial Hostel, so when its sequel came out two years later many were eager to see what the director would do next. The second installment follows three girls taking a trip to the sinister Slovakian hostel where they are subjected to violent and outlandish punishments by the Elite Hunting club. Now I like the first Hostel film but I enjoyed this one more for a few reasons, mainly it is because it takes a lot less time to get to the horror unlike the first installment which spent a considerable amount of time fitting in as much sex as it could. This one however gets to the point much quicker and keeps a steady pace throughout, it feels more even than the first. Also its trio of leading women (Lauren German, Bijou Phillips and Vera Jordanova) just feel a lot more developed and more likeable than the protagonists of the first. There are also Stuart (Roger Bart) and Todd (Richard Burgi), members of the Elite Hunting club with their own entertaining subplot. Above all, Roth really raises the level of gore in this film, in particular in its climax that's a lot more, ehh, ballsy than that of the first. What Roth had attempted in the first Hostel he perfects in this one, managing to find the balance between extreme violence and dark humour which felt somewhat unbalanced in the first film. Extremely violent and fiendishly funny, Hostel: Part II is one of Roth's best films to date.
6. Dead Snow (2009)
Zombie films grew immensely in popularity in the 21st century and not just in America, this zombie craze reached an international level. Dead Snow is a Norwegian zombie romp that follows a group of friends who awaken an army of Nazi zombies during their stay at a remote cabin in the mountains. This film is as hilarious as it is disgusting and certainly does not hold back on the gore, there are as much entrails in this film as there is snow. This brutal violence is combined with slapstick, almost cartoonish humour makes it very reminiscent of Peter Jackson's Braindead (one of the characters even sports a Braindead t-shirt) while the cabin setting makes one think of The Evil Dead, it's full of homages but despite this it is very much its own film. It has some memorable death scenes both because of their violently comedic nature, one scene where a man gets killed in an outhouse is particularly funny. Although it can be pretty silly that does not make Dead Snow any less terrifying, there are some pretty intense jumpscares along with the heart racing opening scene set to the tune of Edvard Grieg's 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'. It is a pretty intense film despite its cartoony nature and the battle scene between the humans and Nazi zombies is one of the best fight scenes in horror history only rivaled by that in its sequel Red Vs Dead. Director Tommy Wirkola manages to create a film that is both hilarious and terrifying from its jumpy sequences to extreme gore, this is definitely how horror comedy should be.
5. Wolf Creek (2005)
Now to more serious stuff on the other end of the globe, Wolf Creek tells the story of three tourists who become the targets of the maniacal Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) on their journey through the Australian outback. Now this is some seriously unrelenting stuff, unlike a lot of the films I've spoken about so far this contains very little humour, it's just 100 percent sheer brutality. Although Mick Taylor comes across as a bit funny at times his cruel nature inclines us to ignore this, don't get me wrong though Wolf Creek is a brilliant horror film. It has this gritty sense of raw violence that's not stylised like a lot of films but rather done in a realistic way that makes Wolf Creek a lot more effective. The raw violence is made even more effective thanks to the gritty setting very reminiscent of a Mad Max movie, lots of road and desert that ties in well with the brutal violence. What really makes this film special though is its unpredictability, anybody can die and writer/director Greg McLean makes this very clear when he kills off the films protagonist when we least expect it. Nobody is safe in this film, not even an unsuspecting motorist whose head is shot clean off by the insane Mick Taylor. It is an incredibly intense film thanks to its violent and unpredictable nature and it certainly had me on the edge of my seat throughout, definitely not for the faint of heart.
4. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Countless iconic horror characters were established in the 20th century and the 21st century has seen the emergence of even more, one of which is the formidable Creeper (Johnathan Breck). The Creeper pursues siblings Trish and Darry Jenner (Gina Philips and Justin Long respectively) across the Florida countryside during his 23 day killing spree in this modern creature feature. The real highlight of this film is the Creeper itself, it's not a vampire or zombie but an entirely new creation which makes it all the more unpredictable, the demonic being has a variety of abilities from claws on his head to a pair of leathery wings. The film makes for an intense game of cat and mouse between the Creeper and the Jenner siblings (not those Jenner siblings unfortunately), one scene where he pursues the siblings in his monstrous truck is particularly nailbiting. As we slowly learn more about this monster we only become more enticed. The films setting is just as memorable as its creature, the vast fields surrounding the narrow country roads, the scenic area juxtaposed with the terrifying Creeper makes for a very memorable film visually. It's a fun and inventive film with director Victor Salva creating his own breed of creature instead of the usual monsters used in horror films, although some would say Salva is scarier than the Creeper itself due to his unsavory past. Jeepers Creepers is an entertaining film that is a creature feature of sorts crossed with a teen road movie, packed with intense sequences and imagination it is one of the more inventive horror films of the early noughties.
3. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Edgar Wright was making quite the impact with his early works such as Spaced, but it was Shaun of the Dead that gained him the world recognition he deserved. A comedic take on the zombie apocalypse, the film follows Shaun (Simon Pegg) as he attempts to win back his ex girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) during the outbreak of a zombie epidemic. Accompanying Shaun and Liz are his water friend Ed (Nick Frost) and his mother Barbara (Penelope Wilton) as they journey across town to their local pub, The Winchester. The first installment in Wright's Cornetto trilogy, this is one of the greatest zombie comedies of all time thanks to the brilliant acting and Wright's unique style. The dialogue is sheer genius, lines such as 'you've got red on you' have since become iconic, this absurd humour combined with Wright's siganture intense atmosphere makes for a completely original piece of zombie cinema. It is a comedy at heart but that doesn't mean it lacks the violence and gore of your normal zombie film, one scene sees Dylan Moran's character get torn open and pulled into a crowd of zombies and nothing is left to the imagination. It's got some very inventive zombie kills as well, at one point Shaun and Ed proceed to combat a couple of undead fiends by throwing records as them. It's one of the most original zombie films of all time thanks to Wright's signature style and performances by Pegg and co.
2. 28 Days Later (2002)
Yes, another take on the zombie genre but this one is radically different to what we've seen before. Set in a post-apocalyptic London, the film follows Jim (Cillian Murphy) who awakens in a hospital to see that the world around him has crumbled due to the rage virus, a disease that has rapidly spread across the country. The zombies, or 'infected' in this film are not the mindless, slow moving things we've been used to, oh no, these ones can run and very fast at that. They are violent, animalistic creatures that stop at nothing when it comes to hunting down their prey, it makes Jim's situation ten times worse than that of your usual zombie survivor. This film doesn't only have you on the edge of your seat but instead has you dangling from your seat in sheer terror, it is 100% horror, no humour, just sheer terror. Director Danny Boyle shows he's no amateur when it comes to horror as he manages to weave this incredibly intense atmosphere, his direction makes the crazed infected seem only more horrific. The acting is stellar with Cillian Murphy being joined by Brendad Gleeson as Frank, Naoime Harris as Selena and Christopher Eccleston as the stern Major Henry West, Murphy's performance as Jim however is sheer brilliance and his development throughout the film is, for me, the highlight. It is undoubtedly one of the most terrifying zombie films of all time.
1. REC (2007)
Now I'm not a big fan of found footage films, that subgenre went stale many Paranormal Activity's ago, however REC came at a time before these films became worn out back when found footage was still gaining popularity. This Spanish zombie flick centres on a news crew who follow a group of fire fighters out on their nightly routine, however when they get called to an apartment block things take a terrifying turn and what ensues is a masterclass in suspense horror. One thing that makes this film so scary is how real it feels, this is the advantage of the found footage element as from the beginning it feels as though we're watching an actual documentary, so when crazed zombies come throttling towards the camera it's hard not to coil away in fear. The effects are, well, very effective, the blood and zombies all seem so real thanks to the brilliant special effects and the shaky cam, it's almost like watching a snuff film at times. As the camera crew gradually become more unsettled so do the audience, the film becomes increasingly claustrophobic and tense so that audiences can almost feel the way the characters onscreen do. We are forced into these situations with them courtesy of the shaky cam and it really is the best use of found footage in cinema. There have been numerous found footage films over the years and even more zombie films, yet REC stands out as possibly the best of these found footage flicks and one of the best modern zombie films, a truly terrifying piece of cinema that plays on all of the senses.
And so ends another terrifying decade of horror cinema, which means now we've only got one left so next time I will be looking at that, completing this series of posts. Yes of course the next post is about the present decade, the 2010's, and although we're only six years into it we've already seen a wide range of wonderful horror films that are all terrifying in their own different ways. Until next time!
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